diff --git a/include/decl.h b/include/decl.h
index 7aae881dd..8a810488f 100644
--- a/include/decl.h
+++ b/include/decl.h
@@ -930,6 +930,9 @@ struct instance_globals {
     char *config_section_chosen;
     char *config_section_current;
     int nesting;
+    int no_sound_notified; /* run-time option processing: warn once if built
+                            * without USER_SOUNDS and config file contains
+                            * SOUND=foo or SOUNDDIR=bar */
     int symset_count;             /* for pick-list building only */
     boolean chosen_symset_start;
     boolean chosen_symset_end;
diff --git a/src/decl.c b/src/decl.c
index 0c5c1c389..36c60defa 100644
--- a/src/decl.c
+++ b/src/decl.c
@@ -407,6 +407,7 @@ const struct instance_globals g_init = {
     NULL, /* config_section_chosen */
     NULL, /* config_section_current */
     0, /* nesting */
+    0, /* no_sound_notified */
     0, /* symset_count */
     FALSE, /* chosen_symset_start */
     FALSE, /* chosen_symset_end */
diff --git a/src/files.c b/src/files.c
index fe33836e1..fef6a2c3c 100644
--- a/src/files.c
+++ b/src/files.c
@@ -2773,7 +2773,15 @@ parse_config_line(char *origbuf)
         sounddir = dupstr(bufp);
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "SOUND", 5)) {
         add_sound_mapping(bufp);
-#endif
+#else /* !USER_SOUNDS */
+    } else if (match_varname(buf, "SOUNDDIR", 8)
+               || match_varname(buf, "SOUND", 5)) {
+        if (!g.no_sound_notified++) {
+            config_error_add("SOUND and SOUNDDIR are not available.");
+        }
+        ; /* skip this and any further SOUND or SOUNDDIR lines
+           * but leave 'retval' set to True */
+#endif /* ?USER_SOUNDS */
     } else if (match_varname(buf, "QT_TILEWIDTH", 12)) {
 #ifdef QT_GRAPHICS
         extern char *qt_tilewidth;